Method of and apparatus for separating metal sheets



Noin 10, 1931 P. E. HUNTER ET AL Filed Jan. 16, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l Nov. 10, 1931. P. E. HUNTER ET AL METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING METAL SHEETS Filed Jan. 16, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS Patented Nov. 10, 1931 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE PERCY n. HUNTER AND Louis E. E nsLEY, onlmrrsnonerr, PENNSYLVANIA; SAID.

ENDSLEY ASSIGNOR TO SAID HUNTER METHOD on AND APPABATUVSVFOR'SEPARATING' METAL snnn'rs Application filed January 16, 1930. Serial No. 421.156. J

Our invention relates to a method of and apparatus for loosening or separating the metal sheets of a pack, such as the sheets contained in the piles or stacks of steel sheets in connection with tin plate mill operations, etc.

In tin plate mill operations, the metal sheets are handled in piles or packs, during annealing and other operations, and freuently the sheets of a pack become stuck together so that separation thereof in a convenient manner without injury to the sheets presents a troublesome problem.

. One object of our invention is to provide a means and; a method by which the sheets of a pack can be rapidly and economically sep arated or loosened from one another, without pounding or bending operations-of such nature as will deform or distort the sheets.

One form of apparatus by which our invention may be practiced is shown in thenccompanying drawings wherein Figure 1 1s a side elevational view of a machine for operating upon metal packs; Fig. 2 is a cross secs tional view thereof taken at right angles to the view of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view showing a modificationof the structure of Figs. 1 and 2, and Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view showing still another modification.

. This application constitutes a modification of or an improvement upon the disclosure of our application, Serial No. 371,327, filed June 17. 1929. 4

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the apparatus comprises a base or foundatlon plate 3 that supports a framework 4 which carries the operating parts of the apparatus. shaft5 mounted upon the base is driven through a pulley 6 from any suitable source of power and carries worms 7 that mesh with worm ported in hearings on the framework 4 and are driven from the shafts 8, throughbevel gearing 12. Co-acting conical rollers 13 have their shafts journaled in the slide 9 and are driven from the shafts 8, by bevel gears 14 and 1 5,-the gears 14 having sliding key connection with theshafts Sand being iournaled 1n the slide 9, so that when the slide 9 is moved vertically, the gear wheels 14 may travel therewith, and driving connection therefore maintained between the gear wheels 14and15. i 5

The gearing 14 -15 is of such reduction that the rollers13 are rotated more rapidly than are the rollers 11, for'the reason hereaiter explained, and as willbe clear from an inspectionof Fig. 1. The'rollers 13 are like wise shown as of slightly greater diameter than the rollers 11, so that they will have greater peripheral speed than therollersll. Thisdiflerence in peripheral speed as between the rollers 11-13 may be accomplished either by difference in gear reduction or by difference in diameter of the'rollers. if the gear reduction be the'same for both the upper and the lower rollers, or by a combination of difference in gear reduction and difference in roll diameter.

'In order to permit insertion andremoval of sheet metal packs between the rollers 11 and 13. and to accommodate the machine to packs ofvarying thicknessrI provide means for raising and lowering the slide 9. such means consisting of a pair'of screws 17 that havethreaded connection with extensions-18 of the slide 9. and which are iournaledin a tonplate or hearing plate 19. The upper ends of the screws 17 carry beveled vaear wheels 21 that mesh with gear, wheels or .pinions .22 which are secured to a shaft 23.

This haft is supported in bearings that are mounted upon the plate 19. and is drivenby means of a pulley or hand wheel 24 in any conven ent manner. I

The top plate 19 is connected to the frame work 4 at each corner, by means of bolts 25 that are, vertically slidable in the framework and which carry springs 26 interposed between the nuts of the bolt and an offset portion of the framework, so that upward thrust upon the plate 19 when the screws 17 are operated to force the rollers 13 into engagement Vandi-n a bearing plate which is on. said top plate.

- 28 that is of generally U form, as shown more clearly inFi-g. .2, and which-carries a shaft 29 atits lower end upon which deflecting rollers 31 are mounted. The legs of the slide 28 partially embrace and are guided by the slide 9, slideways'32 beingprovidediirthe slide 9 for guiding the slide28 in-its vertical movements. A cross head 33 secured to the upper ends of the legs of the slide 28 and have threaded connection with screw shafts 34 which are journale'd in the top plate 19 mounted ,Thetsc-rews13 lv have, bevel gear connection with-a shaft 36- that is, mounted in'be arings formed on; the plate '35 whichis Zdriven byea pulley or hand wheel 37.

;In operation, the slides carrying the-rollers 113.,and v3l .areelevated to permit insertion of a metal pack 39 whose sheets it is desired to loosen or-separate,- the:center of thegpack .preferablycoinciding with the vertical centen line of the machine.

The screws 1 17 will thenbe actuatedto move the rollers13 into driving engagementwith the pack. It-will be seen that the rollers 13 and 11 have their axes so inclined. that thesurfaces thereof which engage. the upper-and lower sides of the pack .Will, lie. in horizontal lines, but the axes of .the; rollers '11 and 13 can heso positioned that [disposedzat anglesto a horizontalplane, in

the pack-engaging surfaces-thereof will be :order to eflfect some bending of the pack when -passing through these rolls.

',While;the rollers 13 have been moved down in position to rotate the pack, thelshaft 36 is :operated to move. the slide 2-8 andyitsrollers .31 downwardly to somewhat @the position shown in Fig. 2,-thus deflecting those portions of: the pack to. either side oftheuaxes rof the rollers.11.13. The rotation of.the

pack. by the rolls 11 and ..13 willresultin .the bending thereof byctheerolls' 31, the portions thus deflected being brought again, to. a

horizontal plane by the rollers 11 and 13.

During therotationof the pack the rolls 31 may be gra'duallyemoved downwardly toie fment. The rollers "31. while of generally iapered-"form have their surfaces somewhat .aXes,-so that the pack will" have effective conconcave in a direction longitudinally of their tinuous contact therewith from the outer edge ofthe'paclrto'the inner ends of the rolls;

' Bydriving the upper rolls 13 either faster oi-slower than the'lower rollers 11, that-:is, 'by-glvlng'them a greater or less peripheral rate: ofspeed' through -faster:-rotative movement; or by reason of their greater diameter as above-explained, the upper and lower sheets of a pack are caused to slip relative to one another, tending to give the pack a fanlike' shape, thus facilitating the separating action of the rolls on the sheets, through supplementingthe-bendin orflexing vof the 'she'etsibyi'thewa'r-ious rol ers.

The,c0ntinued deflection of the sheets by the rollers 31 and return of the deflected portions to a horizontal plane between the rollers 11-arid 13,-*resi1 lts-is effectively loosening the sheets from one another, and after a pack has been subjected" to the operation above dessclibed, the. slides.,9 and 28 will be elevated to permit removal ofthe pack and insertion Lot: anothenpack. :Referring nowtoFig. 3, I showiastrncture whe1'ebygreater flexing and-bending of. the pacleandr shiftingof its center during rolling is affected. In (this :structure, the rollers T1364 which correspond to'the rollers 13 of landthrough companion'rol'lers, (not shown) whic hcorrespondto therollers11 ofrFig. 1, rhavetheir aales extending in a direction gen- --erally tangenteto the ,normal center. ofl1the pack 39, which-center, is;-normally at a mid point betweenithe inner: ends. of the. rollers v.31. ,The driving rollers-1 3a being-non, radial rtothe-eaicl: normal center: they. tend. to shift .the "packsso that its. central portion .will' be.

mtoreefi ectively brought under-the. influence ..of the;-rollers-,instead of rbeingrpermitted to rotate onza fixedaxis. Thisarrangement. fur- .t-herrnorev tends torefiect slippage .ofthe sheets qupon: one; another.

,{In ig.4, .welhaveashown. rollers, 13?) and llb-corresponding to therollers 13.;and111 respectivelyof Fig. ;1,: but theserollers 13?) land; 11-7); arerelatively offset; in the directions #01; their-taxes and .radially of: a pack, rotated 2 thereby, so that when :pass-i ng between two of i theserrollers, onezupper; rolleril3b will exert a greater driving force, on the pack thanwill :itsassOiated roller 116, while the other. roller 1113b :will exert =.a:.less. driving force upon the lllaa dllj than ,willg'its corroborating. roller .111).

This arrangement not only tends toz-etl'ect a slippage: ofathe sheets;- relati-ve. toone another, llrut 'shift-srthe1 axis, of rotation of the pack so aas toi'bringitheicentral portion thereof into :morez intimate-relation with: the rollers 1 than xw'ouldrbe thei-case if: the pack were. rotated about ,Wfi'XGdfil'XlS.

:It will he ill'IIClGLSlZOO'Cl that the rollers of ":Figs, 3.;1a:n, d 4? may. betinou-nted; and driven in Ith'eFsamaman-nerits-are the rollers of Figsal ;Itwill a-lso-.be understood that the rollers ll3bvand11b may be directed toward agiven accnternaszare the--rollers Hand 13, or that they may have their :axes extending tanl gentiallyl-of the normal centerof a the pack gas; indicated by the; rollers. 13a of Fig. 3.

JVe-Jclaim as-our invention: 7 ,1.. Apparatusrforeoperating upon packs-of plane during traveling movement thereof,

one of the said driving rollers having greater peripheral speed than the other rollers.

3. Apparatus for operating upon packs of sheet material, comprising two pairs of rollers of tapered form, the reduced ends of each pair being located in proximity to the reduced ends of the other pair, the said rollers being positioned to impart rotative movement of a pack of material placed between the rollers of each pair, and means for imparting greater peripheral speed to one roller of each pair than to the other roller thereof.

4. Apparatus for operating upon packs of sheet material, comprising two pairs of rollers of tapered form, the reduced ends of each pair being located in proximity to the reduced ends of the other pair, the said rollers being positioned to impart rotative movement of a pack of material placed between the rollers of each pair, and means for rotating the said rollers, one roller of each pair being axially offset with respect to its associated roller.

5. Apparatus for operating upon packs of sheet material, comprising two pairs of rollers of tapered form, the reduced ends of each pair being located in proximity to the reduced endsof the other pair, the said rollers being positioned to impart rotative movement of a pack of material placed between the roll- 7 ers of each pair, and means for rotating the said rollers, each pair of rollers being offset radially of their axes with respect to the rollers of the other pair.

6. Apparatus for operating upon packs of sheet material, comprising compressing rollers arranged to rotate a pack about a center perpendicular to and extending through the body of the pack, and means tending to cause rotation of the pack about a different center with such force as to shift said pack axially of saidv centers during rotative movement thereof. Y

7. Apparatus for operating upon packs of sheet material, comprising compressing rollers arranged to rotate a pack about a center perpendicular to and extending through the body of the pack, and means for imparting a greater driving force to one side of the pack than to the other side thereof.

8. The method of operating upon a pack of sheet material, which comprises rotating said pack about axes perpendicular to the.

plane thereof, compressing the pack during said rotative movement, and simultaneously shifting the pack radially of the said axes.

9. The method of operating upon packs of sheet material which comprises rotating a pack about an axis perpendicular to the plane thereof, deflecting portions of said pack into undulatory paths of travel and simultaneously shifting its axis of rotation. 10. The method of operating upon a pac of sheet material comprising rotating said pack about an axis extending perpendicularly through the pack, a greater driving force being applied to one side of thepack than the other side thereof, and simultaneously progressively compressing said pack. v

In testimony whereof we, the saidPERoY E. HUNTER and LOUIS E; ENDSLEY, have hereunto set our hands.

PERCY E. HUNTER. LOUIS E. ENDSLEY. 

